The party is over in Majorca after a less-than-spectacular peak season, according to hoteliers. The Alcudia and Can Picafort Hoteliers Association declared on Tuesday, September 9, that the summer of 2025 was largely in line with 2024 – a stark shift from the trend of continuous growth witnessed in previous years.
However, the hoteliers have claimed there has been a decline in hotel occupancy levels, with an average of 84.23% in the historic northern town of Alcúdia and 80% in Can Picafort, North-east Majorca. For context, August typically sees the highest hotel bed occupancy rate in the Balearics, even exceeding 90% in 2024, according to Statista data published in July this year. The figures for 2024 – 90.3% – were just below those of 2019, at 90.8%.
While the Alcúdia municipality has maintained its multi-market profile, the British and Eastern European markets are down 5% each – accounting for 25.1% and 6.54% respectively.
“We are seeing a slight loss of strength in the British market and Eastern European countries, while the rest remain stable,” said the president of the Hotel Association, Pablo Riera-Marsa, adding that such adjustments must be “monitored closely”.
The German market leads with 27.72%, followed by Scandinavia (16.38%), Spain (5.24%), other European countries (19.02%) and non-European countries (3.42%).
Meanwhile, in Can Picafort, the average occupancy rate of 80% up to August reflects a positive trend, but the dynamic has shifted. Here too, the British market is down by 1.43% – remaining at 16%. Meanwhile, the German market is showing strong signs of growth (+20.9%), reaching a 47% share. The domestic market (+1.8%), the French market (+1.3%) and the Eastern European market (+1.4%) are also growing.
What is most stark is a change in the types of accommodation booked by tourists. Half-board and all-inclusive packages fell by more than 10%, while self-catering grew by 7%, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin. This trend has greatly affected the island’s restaurants and complementary services, which have witnessed declines of 15% to 20% compared to 2024.
“The rise of self-catering reflects a change in tourist habits, with tourists consuming more outside the hotel and choosing more flexible options. This has a direct impact on local restaurants and complementary services,” the hotel president added.
With these statistics, the hoteliers have claimed that the 2025 season has marked the end of the post-pandemic “champagne effect” and a return to a more moderate and stable demand, more akin to 2019. Majorca saw 11.6 million international tourists in 2019 – a pre-pandemic peak – but by the end of 2024, the Balearics recorded approximately 15.7 million international tourist arrivals. However, in May, the archipelago’s tourism figures fell by 1.6% compared with May 2024, according to reports.
“It is a positive season, but with clear signs of moderation. This forces us to work intelligently, reinforcing the quality, differentiation and sustainability of our offering,” concluded Mr Riera-Marsa.
Elsewhere in Majorca, restaurant and bar owners have blasted anti-tourism protesters, blaming numerous demonstrations over recent months for a huge downfall in trade. CAEB, which represents business owners in Spain’s Balearic Islands, said it hopes that September “will save the season” after seeing transactions plunge since May. Juanmi Ferrer, the island’s restaurant association president, gave a similarly stark warning that these protesters are “scaring visitors away”.